As the hype machine cranked up for the Orange Bowl, Miami coach Mark Richt made a point of stressing that the Hurricanes are in it to win it.
That, no doubt, will be the case when the No. 10 Hurricanes face the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers on Dec. 30 at Hard Rock Stadium.
But at this moment, Richt and his staff are intently focused on the highest-stakes game being played in college football — as they attempt to recruit the next generation of would-be stars to take the team further next year and beyond.
"For our coaches, we're on the road, really, every minute of the day other than this weekend and next weekend [when] we'll have [prospects] in town for official visits," Richt said Wednesday during the initial Orange Bowl media event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel. "We're having home visits tonight. That's what we do this time of year."
Those efforts are paying dividends. Earlier Wednesday, Miami received a commitment from Jarren Williams, the nation's sixth-ranked dual-threat senior quarterback.
"I'm not allowed to talk about [that] at this point," Richt said, alluding to NCAA recruiting rules, but he added coyly, "I heard something good happened."
The success the 10-2 Hurricanes had this season certainly isn't hurting in getting the attention of the players Richt covets. Williams, a 6-foot-2 four-star prospect from Central Gwinnett in Lawrenceville, Ga., visited Miami on the weekend of the Hurricanes' 41-8 rout of Notre Dame.
Richt pointed out that recruiting efforts began to gain traction after last season, his first at UM, when the 'Canes went 9-4 and finished with five consecutive wins. That helped land a number of early commitments before this season started.
"I knew as a head coach that we had to show enough on the field throughout the season to keep our confidence as a staff and in us as a program. I think we accomplished that," he said.
"We do have a wonderful class set to come in. We can't really talk about them yet. But if everybody stays true to their word, we're going to have a whale of another group of guys to help that roster."
The back-to-back defeats against Pittsburgh and Clemson showed that the Hurricanes need reinforcements on offense. Running back Mark Walton and tight end Chris Herndon, arguably their two best offensive players, had their seasons cut short by injuries and won't return. Leading receiver Braxton Berrios is graduating.
An upgrade at quarterback could also be welcomed. Redshirt-junior Malik Rosier, in his first year as starter, showed a winning touch in some comeback efforts but not always an accurate one.
Asked if a certain new quarterback recruit might be entering school as a mid-year enrollee, Richt said: "We plan on having a bunch of mid-year enrollees, and there's a possibility of that."
Enrolling early would enable Williams to participate in spring practices and potentially in the mix to vie for the starting job.
As to the possibility of an open competition at quarterback, Richt said, "We do that every spring in every season."
The Hurricanes' 2018 class, with 21 commitments so far, is ranked in the top five of several recruiting sites: second by Rivals.com, third by 247sports.com and fourth by ESPN.
As Richt and staff look to add to it, their message is that a team that ranked as high as No. 2 in the College Football Playoff poll this season can offer opportunities for talented newcomers to play early.
"I think they see the success that we've had, they see how close we've been," Richt said. "But they know we need help. They can see that we don't have quite the depth that we need to have to sustain any kind of injures or attrition. So that's why we're beating the bushes hard, like everybody else."
That is particularly true this year with the new Early Signing Period. From Dec. 20-22, high school prospects can sign a national letter of intent. Previously, they had to wait for the first Wednesday of February.
Richt could point out to potential signees the chance to play for the 2017 Walter Camp Coach of the Year, a prestigious honor he earned this week after earlier being named the ACC's top coach.
Rest assured he will, as a means of touting the overall strength of UM and the football program.
"I think it's the biggest team award that there is, quite frankly," he said. "You don't get that type of an honor unless the team wins. You don't win unless you have all the ingredients."
The focus now is on adding ingredients. Richt noted that his staff lost valuable recruiting time last week while preparing for the ACC Championship Game. So they are redoubling their efforts and haven't yet begun preparations for the Orange Bowl.
Players are focused on academics to conclude the fall semester. They are doing strength and conditioning and may work out informally, but won't begin formal preparation for the Orange Bowl until the week after next, Richt said.
"We'll get at least eight really quality practices in. It's like having an open date, which is plenty," Richt said.
The Hurricanes will have their hands full against Wisconsin, which is 12-1 and has the nation's top defense. They will have the advantage of playing on their home field where they are 7-0 this year.
Interest in UM's first Orange Bowl appearance in more than a decade is already driving up demand on the secondary ticket market.
The game is not yet a sellout, but according to ticket search engine TicketIQ, the average resale price is already up to $302. By comparison, the 2015 Orange Bowl, which was a CFP semifinal game, had an average ticket price of $199 at the same time.
Even though the highest stakes game for Miami this month is clearly recruiting for the future, Richt said the 'Canes will have ample motivation. And that a win can aid the future as well.
"I think that people who vote on preseason polls, they usually do take into account what happened in the bowl games. You've got to vote based on something," Richt said. "So I think it's important to win."
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